Islahuddin Siddiqui, the former hockey star and the most successful captain of the Pakistan Hockey Team was born in Meerut, India on 10th January, 1948. His parents later migrated to Pakistan.
Islahuddin’s glorious hockey career spans over 13 years from 1967 till 1979. Islahuddin scored more than 100 goals and also contributed in the scoring of many goals.
Islahuddin Siddiqui played at the position of right out and is known for his brilliant super quick dashes during penalty corners which distracted the opponents. His impressive medal list includes 10 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals.
He won many series and tournaments for Pakistan and his biggest achievement as a captain was completing the grand slam in 1978 when Pakistan won all three prestigious titles of World Cup, Asian Games and Champions Trophy.
Islahuddin also led Pakistan to victory over arch rivals India in the first ever series between the two nations. Pakistan also won the silver medal in the 1972 Olympic Games and the Bronze in 1976 Olympic Games with Islahuddin as a part of the team.
Islahuddin was respected as a worthy opponent and was known for his humility. At the 1970 Asian Games held at Bangkok, he was a gold medalist. He was manager and chief coach of Asian Eleven and Asian Eleven won the tournament of the 5 continents.
After retirement from hockey, Islahuddin remained active as a coach and manager of the national team as well as a hockey commentator. He is also a member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and is on the FIH Rules Board; the only member from the Sub Continent so far.
This brilliant achiever was awarded Pride of Performance Award in 1982 by the Government of Pakistan for his outstanding contributions in the field of Hockey. He was also awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2010.
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